Hosta plant named ‘Goodness Gracious’

ABSTRACT

Hosta  plant named ‘Goodness Gracious’ is a new cultivar with ovate leaves with wide yellow margins and dark green centers, light lavender flowers suitable as a potted plant, for the garden, and for cut flower or leaf arrangements.

Botanical classification: Hosta hybrid (Tratt.).

Variety denomination: ‘Goodness Gracious’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct Hosta plant, Hosta ‘Goodness Gracious’ discovered by Susan Lichacz at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA as an uninduced whole plant mutation in a tissue cultured crop of Hosta ‘Satisfaction’ (not patented). The new plant has been successfully asexually propagated both by division and by tissue culture at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. and in both asexual propagation systems found to be stable and produce identical plants that maintain the unique characteristics of the original plant.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Hosta ‘Goodness Gracious’ differs from its parent, ‘Satisfaction’, as well as all other Hostas known to the applicant. The most similar known Hosta cultivars are: ‘Evening Magic’ (not patented), ‘Everglades’ (not patented), ‘Lakeside Symphony’ (not patented), ‘Moonshine’ (not patented), ‘Piedmont Special’ (not patented), ‘Satisfaction’ (not patented), ‘Sentimental Journey’ (not patented), ‘Summer Serenade’ (not patented), and ‘Tylers' Treasure’ (not patented). All of the above are sports (mutations) of ‘Piedmont Gold’ (not patented). Hosta ‘Evening Magic’ has leaves with a yellow center and thin white margin. Hosta ‘Moonshine’ has solid chartreuse foliage. Hosta ‘Lakeside Symphony’ has a muted chartreuse leaf margin with a yellow center. Hosta ‘Sentimental Journey’ has leaves with a light green center and yellow margin. Hosta ‘Summer Serenade’ has foliage with a yellow center and dark green margin, the reverse pattern of ‘Goodness Gracious’. Hosta ‘Goodness Gracious’ has color pattern similar to ‘Everglades’, ‘Piedmont Special’, ‘Satisfaction’ and ‘Tyler's Treasure’ but with a much wider variegation of the leaf margins.

There are over 4,500 cultivars registered with The American Hosta Society, which is the International Cultivar Registration Authority for the genus Hosta. Hosta ‘Goodness Gracious’ differs from these and all unregistered cultivars known to the inventor in the following combined traits:

-   -   1. Plant size of medium-large with arching foliage.     -   2. Foliage with coarse marginal undulation or pie-crusting to         leaf blade.     -   3. Leaf blades with narrow dark green centers and very wide         lutescent margins.     -   4. Numerous flowers of light lavender to near white on upright         scapes attractively above foliage in early summer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the three-year old plant demonstrate the overall appearance of the near-mature plant, including the unique traits, grown in a partially shaded garden in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, source, direction and temperature may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant in a landscape setting early in the growing season.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the foliage later in the season.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Hosta ‘Goodness Gracious’, has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and specimen maturity, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of a three-year old plant in a trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. with 50% artificial shade, supplemental water and light fertilizer.

-   Botanical classification: Hosta hybrid. -   Sport parentage: Hosta ‘Satisfaction’ (not patented). -   Propagation method: By sterile laboratory tissue culture propagation     and garden division. -   Growth rate: Moderate to rapid. -   Crop time: Summer growing 9 to 10 weeks to finish in a one-liter     container. -   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About two and a half     weeks. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant shape and habit.—Hardy, herbaceous, long-lived             perennial, densely rhizomatous, forming a mounded clump in             maturity, with basal rosette leaves, usually bilateral and             radially symmetrical.         -   Roots.—Normal, fleshy, lightly branching, cream-colored in             normal soil.         -   Plant size.—Foliage height about 50 cm tall; width of plant             at the widest point is approximately 48 cm at the widest             point just above soil line. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf blade.—Ovate, entire margins, cordate leaf base with             narrowly acute apex, mostly bilaterally symmetrical, with             sinuous or pie-crust margins, with deeply impressed veins;             width to length ratio of about 1:1.3; average about 22 cm             long and 17 cm wide; 10 to 11 pairs of major parallel veins             and one main center vein; glabrous; top surface begins             season lightly glaucous becoming dull matte-surfaced to             slightly shiny, bottom surface glaucous; margin variegation             portion increasing with age to nearly ½ total leaf width.         -   Blade color.—Very early season as emerging adaxial (top)             center between RHS 138A and RHS 138B, adaxial margin nearest             RHS144A; very early season as emerging abaxial (bottom)             center nearest RHS 138B, abaxial margin nearest RHS 138C;             early season adaxial center nearest RHS 137A, adaxial margin             nearest RHS N144C with irregular segments between the margin             and center where the histogenic layers overlap of RHS 144A             and RHS 144B; early season abaxial (underside) center             nearest RHS 138A, adaxial margin RHS 144A with some small             fragments connected to center of nearest RHS138B between             margin and center where histogenic layers overlap;             mid-season and later adaxial center nearest RHS 137A and             margin more yellow than RHS 151D; mid-season and later             abaxial center nearest RHS 138A and margins more yellow than             RHS 151D.         -   Veins.—10 to 11 pairs of prominent major parallel veins,             deeply impressed.         -   Vein color.—Same color as leaf center on early season top             and bottom margins, and nearest RHS 145A in the center on             top and bottom; mid season and later nearest RHS 145B on top             and bottom center and nearest RHS 144B on top and bottom             margins.         -   Petioles.—Semi-conduplicate to concavo-convex, glabrous,             slightly glaucous, arching; 38 to 42 cm long and about 1.3             cm wide measured at 3 cm above soil line.         -   Petiole color.—Both edges of petiole nearest RHS N144A in             the distal region, nearest RHS 144A in the center distal             region; and proximal and middle center nearest RHS N144C and             margin nearest RHS N144A with a slight glaucous surface. -   Flower description:     -   -   Buds.—Clavate with bluntly acute to rounded apex and longer             thin base; one day prior to opening nearest RHS 91D near             base and lighter (more white) than RHS 91D at middle and             green apex nearest RHS 144A; about 5.0 cm long, and 1.5 cm             wide at the broadest portion.         -   Flowers.—28 to 36 per scape; each subtended by bract;             funnelform; about 5.0 cm wide and 6.5 cm long, (distal             flowers slightly smaller); remain open for a normal period,             usually one to two days on or cut from plant; scapes remain             effective from mid June into early July in Zeeland, Mich.;             no detectable fragrance.         -   Tepals.—Two sets of three fused at the basal two thirds;             acute apex; margins entire; glabrous, approximately 6.5 cm             long and 2.0 cm wide; inner tepal color nearest RHS 91D on             the center stripe of about 6 mm wide and white on the outer             margins; outer tepal color lighter than RHS 91D throughout             the tepal margin to center with the basal 1 cm nearest RHS             91D; veins not prominent, same color as surrounding tissue.         -   Pedicel.—Rounded, slightly curved, glaucous, glabrous; about             1.2 cm long, 3 mm diameter; between RHS 138C and RHS 138 B             with slight lavender undertones.         -   Peduncle.—Cylindrical, glaucous, glabrous, unbranched;             usually one per division, slightly arching, about 6 mm             diameter at base, about 60 cm tall; nearest RHS 139C.         -   Gynoecium.—Single; Style: about 7.0 cm long, 1 mm diameter,             curled upward at distal 1.0 cm; lighter than RHS 142 in the             proximal half and whiter than RHS 155D in the distal half.         -   Stigma.—Rounded, 1 mm to 2 mm in diameter, lighter than RHS             155D.         -   Androecium.—Filaments: six, about 1.0 mm in diameter and 7.5             cm long, shorter than gynoecium; curving upward the last 1.5             cm; lighter than RHS 142 in the proximal half and whiter             than RHS 155D in the distal half.         -   Anthers.—Oblong; attached midpoint lengthwise; dehiscing             along the center longitudinal axis; about 5 mm long and 2 mm             wide, between RHS 187A and RHS 187B.         -   Pollen.—Elliptical, less than 0.1 mm long, nearest RHS 17B.         -   Bracts.—Subtending each flower, sessile, lanceolate, entire,             glaucous, glabrous, widest at base and tapering to acute             apex; protruding upward about 80 degree angle away from             scape at time of flower opening; lowest up to 6.0 cm long             and 1.25 cm wide before first flower, progressively             decreasing in both length and width; drying as flowers open.         -   Bract color.—Center portion on top and bottom surfaces             lighter than RHS 145D with outer portion nearest RHS 139C             and a thin margin about 1 mm wide of nearest RHS 139D. -   Fruit: Has not been observed. -   Seeds: Have not been observed. -   Disease resistance: Disease or pest resistance beyond that common to     Hostas has not been observed. The plant grows best with light     fertilizer, plenty of moisture and adequate drainage, but is able to     tolerate some flooding and drought when mature. Hardiness at least     from USDA zone 3 through 9, and other disease resistance is typical     of that of other Hostas. 

1. A new and distinct ornamental Hosta plant named ‘Goodness Gracious’ as herein described and illustrated, with ovate leaves with wide yellow margins and dark green centers, light lavender flowers, suitable as a potted plant, for the garden, and for cut flower or leaf arrangements. 